Surprise Family Reunion
by DwaejiTokki
Summary: Gwen, feeling particularly snoopy, goes through Kevin's wallet while he's preoccupied with Ben's rather dimwitted arguments. She finds not one, but four rather questionable photographs and demands answers. "Oh," Kevin said, unperturbed, "those are my sisters and brother." Now Ben and Gwen want to meet them, and of course plenty of trouble ensues.
1. Chapter 1

Surprise Family Reunion

**Summary**: Gwen, feeling particularly snoopy, goes through Kevin's wallet while he's preoccupied with Ben's rather dimwitted arguments. She finds not one, but four rather questionable photographs and demands answers. "Oh," Kevin said, unperturbed, "those are my sisters and brother." Now Ben and Gwen want to meet them, and of course plenty of trouble ensues.

**Rating**: T, probably.

**Disclaimer**: *checks pockets for proof of ownership* Will this piece of lint suffice? No? Then I'm afraid I don't own them.

Chapter 1

"I'm telling you," Ben argued, raising his voice over Kevin's disdainful objections, "Sumo Slammers VII is totally the best one!"

Kevin groaned loudly. "I haven't even seen the first six, Ben. Nor do I want to," he said before Ben could suggest watching all of them. "This is so stupid. Why am I even here?"

Gwen sat on the end of the couch in Ben's living room beside Kevin, who was in the middle. They had decided to spend the day together, but there was nothing to do on such a rainy day. Carl and Sandra were both at work, leaving them to their own devices, as usual. She ignored their ridiculous argument, which was really getting neither of them anywhere, and let her eyes wander around the room. Anywhere, she shuddered, but the television, where two obese men wrestled in a chalk ring.

Her intelligent green eyes landed on the worn leather wallet on the coffee table. It was Kevin's, obviously, if the silver chain on it was any indication. Gwen briefly wondered why he had taken it out of his pocket, but dismissed the question when she remembered he had been digging for something earlier, couldn't find it, and removed everything in his pockets. He had then found the peppermint he for which he was searching and popped it into his mouth.

Gwen watched the boys out of the corner of her eye for moment, under the pretense of studying a family photograph atop the television screen. When she was sure they were too involved with one another, she quickly reached forward and snatched up the wallet. Sure, she knew it was rude and nosy, but she was bored. And she was sure Kevin wouldn't mind. He rarely did, when it came to her.

It didn't surprise her that he had plenty of cash. Not only did he have American bills, but there several other types of currency that she didn't recognize. She assumed they were alien and shrugged it off, making a metal note to look into it later. His driver's license was in the picture slot. He looked good in it, perhaps a little smug. Gwen felt a little twinge of annoyed jealousy when she remembered her own identification photo. She hadn't been ready, so her face had been a sort of grimace.

She rifled through the card slots. Several credit and debit cards, all from different banks. Gwen had never seen him use them, as he preferred to use cash. She wasn't sure whether that was because he didn't want to run up debt, or if it was because cards could easily be traced. Pleasingly, Gwen found Kevin's library card. She didn't know if he used it often, but just the fact that he had one warmed her heart. Despite dropping out of school in fifth grade, he was struggling to continue his education in what he thought was secret. It was admirable, to say the least.

"No, Ben!" Kevin snapped, and Gwen's eyes darted up to see that Ben had crossed the room to the movie shelf, where he was pulling out several Sumo Slammers movies.

"Just watch the first one at least!" Ben said. "You'll love it, I swear!"

"No! No!" was the exasperated reutterance. When Ben ignored him, Kevin pushed himself up from the couch and went to wrestle the DVD away. "Why can't you be normal?!"

"Normal?!"

Gwen rolled her eyes and continued to look through her boyfriend's wallet, tuning out their squabbling. They really were childish sometimes.

In the last card slot was not a card, as she had first thought. There were five photographs stuffed inside, frayed at the corners. Her lips turned up in a smile at the first slightly faded picture. It was of his parents' wedding. His mother and father stood on the altar, holding hands and beaming at the camera. His mother white dress was form-fitting and trailed behind her, and her veil had been thrown back to show her elegant hair. Devin, his father, stood proudly, dark hair slicked back. His tuxedo accentuated his strong body.

She moved to the next photo, and her smile faded. It was of a beautiful girl with golden locks of hair cascading down her slim shoulders. Her brown eyes and cherry lips were alight with a smile, as though the picture had been taken mid-laugh. The girl's complexion was smooth and pale, not to mention flawless. Gwen shook her head. There was no need to jump to conclusions about Kevin's relationship with her.

The next picture was of another girl. Now Gwen was a little irked. This girl, too, was beautiful. Her more than ample bosom took up the lower half of the frame, made even more apparent by the fact that her blue shirt was rather low-cut. Her black hair was short, strikingly similar to Gwen's when she was ten. Her dark eyes twinkled light-heartedly, and a lop-sided smirk was on her lips.

Gwen cast a look to Kevin, who was browsing the movie shelf. He'd apparently won out against Ben, who was sulking back on his end of the couch. She furrowed her brow and moved the picture to the bottom of the pile and looked at the next one.

Another girl, of course. Gwen bit her tongue. This woman looked as though she could be the older sister of the previous girl. Their features were quite similar, and their hair and eyes were the same color. This girl, however, was dressed more modestly, and her hair was much, much longer. In fact, it was so long that even with it up in a ponytail, it trailed past the frame of the photograph. Gwen shook her head and moved to the next picture.

This one was of a man. Gwen's first thought was that it was another of Kevin's father, but a closer look showed several differences. For one, his hair was longer and styled so that it stuck up at odd angles. Or it was bedhead. His blue eyes crinkled at the edges in a broad grin, and he held a finger up to his lips. Gwen half expected him to wink at her, but that was a ridiculous notion-it was a photograph! Perhaps it was his uncle.

Then Gwen reexamined the women. If that man was his uncle, and the wedding photo was of his parents, perhaps these women were other relatives of his. She compared the women who looked to be sisters to the man. Yes, the resemblance was there. They could be his aunts. But the blonde girl, there really was no telling who she was.

She turned the photographs over, hoping for some sort of label on the back. There was none. Of course not, Gwen thought exasperatedly, it was Kevin.

But still, she was much more bothered than she should be.

Kevin had finally sank back onto the couch, having chosen a movie to watch. Ben began to complain loudly when he discovered they were watched The Fast and the Furious.

"Kevin," Gwen said, taking a deep breath.

Kevin stopped abruptly in his tirade against Ben's lack of taste, shooting him a glare before schooling his features and turning to Gwen. She held up the photos, minus the wedding picture, which was in her lap with the wallet. "Who are these?"

"Oh," Kevin said, unperturbed, "those are my sisters and brother."

That earned a rather surprised look from both Ben and Gwen.

"Sisters? Brother?" Ben repeated, leaning over Kevin so that he could get a closer look at them.

Gwen stared at him, lips parted. "You never told me about them," she said accusingly.

He shrugged. "Never came up."

Her eyes moved back to the pictures. "What are their names?"

Kevin sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to be able to watch the movie now that the Tennysons had their minds set on his siblings. He plucked one of the photos from Gwen's fingers. It was the woman with incredibly long hair.

"All of these pictures are several years old," he said, "so they're a little different now. This is Ryan, my eldest sister. She's thirty-one years old, and has two kids-my nephews Liam and Charles. They're seven and five. Ryan is married to a guy named Peter. He's a jerk, really, I don't know what she sees in him."

Kevin pulled the man's photo next. "His name is Devin Dylan Levin, Jr., but he goes by D.D. He's twenty-nine, and he's been a famous singer on Osmosia since he was nineteen, so he's written and sung like, hundreds of songs. He's played in a few movies, too."

The dark teen seemed completely oblivious to his friends' ogling stares. Next was the girl with the large breasts. "Elina, twenty-seven. Actually, she's really nice, but she goes through boyfriends like Ben goes through chili fries. She lives in Egypt 'cause she's an archaeologist. She digs around in the pyramids, I guess."

Gwen handed him the last photo of the blonde girl. By this time she was hanging on his every word. His family sounded so interesting, and she couldn't understand why he'd never thought to mention them before. Ben, however, was still struggling to comprehend that Kevin even had siblings.

"This is Jenna. She might look nice and sweet, but she's pretty evil," Kevin said bluntly. "She taught me everything I know about cars. And fighting. Anyway, she's twenty-five years old, and engaged to some jerk named Mickey."

Kevin handed the photographs back to Gwen and turned his attention to the television screen. Gwen and Ben sat quietly beside him for a long moment, absorbing this new information.

Then Ben spoke up, "Your oldest sister is thirty-one?"

"Yes."

Ben, at this, looked thoroughly confused, and shared a glance with Gwen. Suddenly, she understood his implication and looked back at the wedding photo. "How old is your mom again?" she asked a bit apprehensively.

Kevin blinked at her. "Um, thirty-seven, I think. Why?"

Ben and Gwen shared equally confused looks. "Your sister can't be thirty-one if your mom is thirty-seven," she said.

"Huh?" the boy uttered. Then realization hit him. "Oh! Oh, no. We're all half siblings."

"Oh," Gwen said. "So your sisters and brothers are from your dad's first marriage. That explains the age difference."

"No," Kevin corrected. "We all have different mothers. My mom was my dad's first wife."

Ben and Gwen blushed a little. "Oh," the cousins said in unison.

Kevin scowled. "The culture's different," he said defensively, pointedly locking his eyes on the moving screen.

They fell silent again, the only sound being revving car engines from the surround sound speakers. Once again, it was broken by Ben, who wore a mischievous smile. "When do we get to meet them?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah," Gwen chimed in. "I want to meet your family, Kevin."

"No, you don't."

Gwen gave him her best pleading look.

Kevin rolled his eyes. "You guys barely put up with me. What makes you think you can handle meeting them?"

They only laughed. It was obvious that Kevin would introduce them, swayed as he was by Gwen's puppy face. Kevin sighed heavily after a moment of being stared at. "Fine, fine. We can go to Egypt tomorrow, if you want. It's closest."

Gwen smiled in consent, then carefully tucked the photographs back in their proper place. Kevin stuffed his wallet into his pocket, looking a little uncomfortable. The cousins settled back to finally watch the movie, despite the fact that they had missed the entire exposition.

After a few minutes, Kevin distractedly pulled out his cellphone and shot off a text message. Gwen assumed it was to his sister in Egypt, letting her know that they would be visiting. She snuggled into his side to make herself comfortable for what would be a long couple of hours. Ben and Kevin were already immersed in the plot, but she didn't mind.

Gwen considered asking if he'd told any of his siblings about her or Ben, but then decided that if he hadn't they would have heard about his escapades on the news. She hoped that he had. She would like to see what they thought of her. Gwen decided right then that she would try to win all of their approval. She doubted Kevin would stop being with her should his brother or sisters find any reason for them not to be together, but all the same she didn't want him to be hurt by them.

It was then that, instead of watching the movie, Gwen found herself imagining all sorts of scenarios. First and foremost on her mind was meeting Elina in Egypt. All she knew was that she was an archaeologist, and that she nice, and that she went very quickly through boys (if Kevin's simile held any truth to it). That was very little to prepare herself with. She tried to imagine how Elina would be towards her.

Perhaps at first, she would be overly kind, silently judging her. As they got to know each other, maybe she would warm up a little, or maybe her kindness would fade and she would make her disdain apparent. Maybe she would tell Kevin in private that she thought he could do so much better than Gwen. Even the thought of it made Gwen feel bad about herself, though she knew that there was no reason behind it. She was simply letting her imagination draw out insecurities.

So Gwen forced Kevin's siblings out of her mind for the time being. No use worrying over something like that.

**A/N: **So, I was going to make this a longer-than-average one-shot, but uh, it's turning out much longer-than-average than I'd like, so I just decided to break it into chapters. I'm already halfway through chapter 2, but there's no guarantee that my chapters will come out very quickly. Thanks for your patience, and for reading! ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was 5:30, the time she always got up and prepared for the day. Gwen hopped in the shower, making sure to scrub herself extra well. She knew it was usually hot and dusty in Egypt, and that she would likely get covered in filth at the moment of their arrival, but she wanted to look her best. She paused suddenly, hot water splashing onto her shoulders and cascading down her bare body. What time was it in Egypt?

Doing a quick calculation, Gwen realized that it would be around 1:00 in the afternoon. She smiled a little, and decided to ask Kevin when they would leave when she got out of the shower, and quickly finished up. While she dried off, she could hear her mother moving around in the kitchen downstairs.

Squeezing the towel around her hair to collect the moisture, Gwen stepped out of the steaming bathroom and picked up her cellphone from her bedside table. A glance at the clock made her hesitate at calling Kevin. At 6:00, he was likely to still be sleeping. Then she hung the towel over her shoulder so she could use both thumbs to shoot off a text to him, asking if he was awake. After that she dialed Ben's number and resumed drying her hair.

On the last ring, a sleepy voice murmured, "H'llo?"

"Ben," Gwen greeted sweetly. "Are you awake?"

He cleared his throat, though unsuccessfully. "Why are you calling me so early?" She heard a rustle of blankets in the background, and in her mind's eye Gwen knew that he had pulled them up to his chin and closed his eyes.

Gwen suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Well, you know today we're going to Egypt?"

For a moment, Gwen thought he had fallen asleep again, but he said, "We're leaving now?"

"No," she said. "I don't know. I sent Kevin a text before I called you, but he hasn't replied yet."

"Knowing Kevin, he's probably sleeping...You know, like everyone else is."

This time she did roll her eyes. "If we are going to Egypt, it would be a good time to leave now, since it's already afternoon down there."

"Is it?" came Ben's unimpressed reply. He yawned. "Well, until then, I-"

"Rise and shine, ugly!" said a cheerful voice on Ben's line.

Gwen furrowed her brow. "Is that Kevin?" she asked, though she was ignored in favor of Ben screeching angrily at whatever Kevin was doing to him. There were sounds of a struggle, and then the line went dead. She frowned, looked at her phone, and sighed. She could already tell it would be a long day.

As she sat on her bed to pull on her shoes, her phone buzzed. Gwen answered it. "Hello?"

"Gwen!" greeted Kevin. She could distinctly hear Ben grumbling in the background, and moments later the sounds of a door slamming shut. "On my way to come pick you up. Pack your bags?"

"Pack my bags?" she repeated, arching an eyebrow. "How long are we going to be gone?"

"Only for one night," he replied casually. "My sister is letting us stay at her place. Shut up, Ben."

"Oh," she uttered, looking around her tidy room. "That's nice of her."

"Yeah. Anyway," Kevin said airily as his car purred to life, "see you in a few?"

"Yeah," Gwen agreed. "See you, Kevin." They hung up, and Gwen stuffed her phone into her pocket, casting another look around. One night's worth of packing. She hoped Ben remembered his toothbrush.

It didn't take long at all for her to pack her pajamas, a change of clothes, and her toiletries. In fact, it was just under three minutes. She went downstairs, lugging her bag behind her, and deftly avoided her mother. She hadn't told her she was going to Egypt; as far her mother knew, she was going out for the day as she normally did. Luckily, her father had already left for work. Easing the door open and putting her luggage outside to hide it, Gwen called back, "Bye, Mom!"

"Bye, Gwen," came the perpetually weary-sounding reply.

Gwen quietly shut the door and sat on the steps to wait. It would be a few minutes yet, despite all the speeding laws Kevin broke. It shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did to see the Rust Bucket 3 descend from the sky and land in her front yard. Of course they were taking the ship, it was ridiculous to assume the car could take them across the ocean!

Shooting a furtive look to the kitchen window, Gwen leapt up and dragged her suitcase toward the doorway as it opened. Once inside, it closed again, and she made her way up to the cockpit, where the boys were. She was more than a little pleased to find that Ben's grumbling was caused by the fact that Kevin had forced him to sit in the back so that she could sit up front with the pilot. Said pilot's greeting was a smirk, which she sarcastically returned.

As he eased the ship into flight, Gwen turned to him. "So, your sister does know we're coming, right?"

"Of course," Kevin said defensively. "Otherwise, how would she be letting us stay at her place?"

Gwen narrowed her eyes, less suspiciously than playfully. "Okay, then."

Kevin shot her an affectionate look, then returned his gaze to the skyline. "Next stop," he said in his best pilot's voice, "Cairo, Egypt! ETA, one hour. Luckily this isn't a normal plane, which would take about twelve hours. Never again must you endure the horrors of riding coach!"

Gwen rolled her eyes in amusement, while Ben cracked a smile despite his pouting session. He seemed to forget the fact that he was, as usual, stuck behind the couple, and leaned forward with a mischievous look. "So, Kevin," he said.

Kevin turned his head ever so slightly in a gesture that showed he was listening, though he kept his eyes on the empty skyline. The ground underneath them whizzed by at incredible speed-but that was alien technology on a worst day, anyway.

"What's Aleah like?"

"Elina," Kevin corrected firmly. "And why do you want to know?"

"We're going to meet her," Gwen said. "We want to know what to expect."

Kevin raised an eyebrow, but smirked at her. "What's the fun in that?"

Gwen and Ben both scowled.

"Come on," Ben whined, poking Kevin in the shoulder.

Kevin finally turned and looked at him, fixing him with a dubious expression. "You two are obsessed with my family, you know that?"

"Well that's hardly our fault," Gwen said, and he turned his obsidian eyes to her green ones. "You never talk about them."

"Well that's hardly my fault," was his reply. "There's nothing to say about them, really. They're just sort of...there?" He scrunched his face so that he looked a bit unsure, or unsettled. Gwen immediately suspected that there was another reason he never mentioned them entirely.

They lapsed into a short-lived silence, which was broken by Ben.

"But what's Elina like?"

Kevin groaned, then sighed heavily. "She's moody sometimes. Can't really keep a relationship. Moves around a lot...Actually, she's been in Cairo for about a year now. I think that's the longest she's ever stayed in one place." He flashed them a grin as though sharing some inside joke, but then it faltered when they only stared at him. "But she's a really nice person."

Gwen furrowed her brow. "What does she like to do?"

"Huh?" Kevin blinked at her. "Oh, uh. She's a full-blooded Osmosian, so she can do a lot more stuff than I can. She likes to absorb stuff," he demonstrated by touching his fingertips to the dashboard and coating his hand with the metal, "and then she kind of unabsorbs it, you know?" He did so, and the metal disappeared. He gave his hand a frustrated look. "I don't know how she does it, but instead of it going away, whatever she absorbs makes these little figurines. Like a cat or a wolf or something, whatever she sees."

Ben and Gwen looked interested and impressed. She picked up on his frustration. "Maybe it's something that takes a lot of practice?" she suggested gently.

Kevin smirked, shaking his head. "No, I'm the only half-blood in my family, and the only one who can't do it. I'll probably never be able to."

"But," Ben said, leaning forward again, "you can make shapes with your hands when you absorb things."

"That's different," Kevin said, reaching back and lightly rapping Ben on the forehead with his knuckles. It was harder than he intended, though, and Ben recoiled, rubbing his head.

"How much longer?" he complained.

Kevin gave him an incredulous and disdaining look. "We've only been flying for about twenty minutes, Tennyson."

"Only twenty?" Ben moaned. "How much longer?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "About forty minutes, Ben. Geez, would it kill you to do a little math?"

Ben settled back into his seat, folding his arms again. He wasn't pouting this time, but he made sure to project a boorish aura. "What are we going to do for forty minutes?"

"Well," Kevin said, pointing a lazy finger over his shoulder, "Ben is going to shut up. Gwen and I are going to have a meaningful conversation and profess our love for one another, with no interruptions."

Gwen stifled a laugh at Ben's mutinous look. Kevin smirked to show that he was only teasing, and reached underneath the dashboard, where there were several storage compartments. He came out with something thick and rectangular and tossed it back to Ben, who caught it easily and looked at it.

His green eyes lit up with excitement. "Sumo Slammers: The Graphic Novel?! Kevin, how'd you know?"

"Who doesn't?" Kevin muttered in reply.

Ben immediately opened the cover and set to reading, trying to contain his fangirlish screams of delight. Finally, Kevin and Gwen could have a bit of peace and quiet. It was always a hassle on long trips with Ben. He constantly behaved like a five year old.

Gwen watched Kevin out of the corner of her eye. He seemed completely at ease, watching the sky carelessly. She wondered if his stomach was rebelling against him as much as hers was, filled to the brim with butterflies and other crawling insects. After a moment, Kevin turned and coolly regarded his girlfriend.

"You okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine," Gwen said, perhaps a little too quickly.

Kevin's brow lowered into a skeptical expression.

Gwen cleared her throat. "So," she said shyly, fidgeting in an uncharacteristic manner that did not evade Kevin's observance, "have you told your brother or sisters about us?"

"Yes."

She blinked at him. "And?" she prompted hopefully.

"And what?" Kevin asked, genuinely confused.

"What do they think of me?"

"What do they think of you?" Kevin only looked more lost than before. "They've never met you, Gwen."

"But what do they think of me based on what you've told them?" Gwen sighed, nearly cutting him off. He could be really slow sometimes, and it wore her patience.

"Hm," he hummed thoughtfully. "Well, D.D. thinks he can make you fall in love him in under an hour." Gwen's eye twitched slightly, but she nodded for him to continue. "Ryan says you sound very good for me and that I should treat you well." She nodded approvingly. "Elina can't wait to meet you. She's pretty excited. And Jenna wanted to know everything about you so she could judge whether you're worthy of me or not." He smirked slightly, but it faded when he saw Gwen's unreadable expression. "But," he continued airily, "no one knows you, so they can't judge."

Gwen nodded slowly.

"Besides," Ben piped up behind them, "when they meet me, they'll be falling all over me. So if they like me, they'll have to like you."

Kevin rolled his eyes and shared an exasperated look with Gwen. "Doubt it."

They passed a long portion of the flight in silence.

"Nearly there," Kevin announced at last. "May I present to you, Cairo."

Ben and Gwen looked out the front windscreen, taking in the cluttered Egyptian city. It was to the west of the great river Nile, and between it and the river were the great pyramids of Giza. The cousins couldn't help but to feel awestruck at the majesty of it, but Kevin seemed to be unaffected by it. He'd seen it so many times already.

"We're parking by the pyramids," Kevin said, aiming the nose of the ship towards his destination. "There's nowhere in the city, and plus we're meeting Elina there anyway."

Gwen nodded mutely. The butterflies in her stomach had begun to act up again. She really wanted to impress Elina, though she hardly understood the need to. Maybe it had something to do with Kevin. She felt that if she could get the acceptance of Kevin's family, like he had gotten from hers, then it would strengthen their relationship. Maybe he'd open up to her more. Maybe she'd see embarrassing baby photos of her boyfriend. That is, if the opposite didn't happen.

During her musings, Gwen didn't notice that Kevin had landed and shut off the engine. He called her name, and she started before responding and assuring him that she was fine. Kevin gave her a bemused expression, but conceded and led them out into the hot desert air.

Ben immediately began to complain, which was unsurprising. Kevin shot him a venomous look before turning his head and leading them again. So only Gwen saw the smirk on Ben's lips as he muttered under his breath. He was toying with Kevin, of course. Even Ben wasn't that immature...Most of the time.

Since the sun was bright and the sand was flat, they could see far into the distance. They hadn't parked far from the pyramids, but was still a pretty long stretch of walk. Gwen suddenly felt mildly irritated at that fact, but then reminded herself that it was probably illegal, or dangerous even, to park so closely. She trusted Kevin. Usually.

So it was that they could see pretty far that it stood to reason that those at their destination could see them approach. Or maybe Kevin had told his sister ahead of time when they would arrive and had come to meet them halfway.

Gwen didn't miss the way Kevin's eyes lit up happily at seeing her figure, and it warmed her heart to see it. As they neared, the corners of his lips turned upwards, and then he was smiling. The waiting woman was smiling, too.

She was wearing, as so many archaeologists tend to wear, khaki shorts and a white tank shirt, a broad straw hat, sunshades, and tan hiking boots. On her right wrist was a watch - left-handed, Gwen thought immediately. Though that was hardly important.

Neither of the siblings spoke as they reached each other. They embraced each other tightly, as though they hadn't seen one another in a long time. Gwen realized with a start that that was probably indeed the case. She had known Kevin for nearly two years, and never had he mentioned traveling to Egypt.

After a long moment, Ben cleared his throat awkwardly. Gwen looked at him with an expression not unlike Kevin's upon their arrival.

Kevin and Elina stepped back from each other and regarded Ben coolly. A small smirk tugged at one corner of Kevin's mouth. "This," he said in an introductory tone, "is Gwen." He switched the attention from Ben to Gwen abruptly, leaving Ben's cursory hand in midair.

Gwen smiled brightly and shook Elina's hand. It was calloused and firm, unlike Gwen's soft, dry hands. "Nice to meet you," Gwen said, a little more forcefully than she meant to.

Elina smiled in return. "And you," she replied in a strong voice that didn't surprise Gwen. What was a bit surprising was the slight accent unlike anything she'd ever heard before. "I've heard much about you. I was wondering when Kevy was going to meet us all."

"Kevy?" Ben repeated, suppressing a snicker.

Kevin only looked slightly embarrassed by the childish nickname. "And that's Ben."

"Heard much about you, too," Elina said, grasping his hand as well.

Ben nodded. "Can't say Kevin-I mean, Kevy-has said much about you."

Elina's smile never faltered. "It's just as well, I suppose," she said vaguely. "Well, should we go to my car?"

Kevin nodded, and they all set out across the sand toward the pyramids.

As they walked, Elina began to talk. "I'd take you into the pyramids, if you're interested, but unfortunately my bosses are a bunch of jerks who don't like to have fun. But maybe it's better to get out of the heat for a while and spend time getting to know one another. Sounds fun, I think."

Gwen made an agreeing noise in her throat. It was getting hot and sticky, but she wasn't about to complain like Ben. She was going to make herself look better than what Kevin had told her, though she didn't know what was said. Knowing it was about her, Kevin had probably said good things. Gwen hoped they were good things.

"Can I drive?" Kevin asked suddenly.

"Hmm," Elina drew out the long, thoughtful sound. "Traffic's terrible. You're terrible with traffic. Terrible and terrible makes horrible. So, no."

Kevin visibly deflated, but made no argument. Gwen was amazed, and her dropped jaw announced this. Ben couldn't hold back a smug chortle, for which Kevin gave him a dangerous look. But when he saw his girlfriend's reaction, he only shrugged and smiled a bit sheepishly.

The dark-haired teen struck up a new conversation with his sister. "Do you want to come with us to Osmosia?"

"Do you want me to?" was the immediate reply. "Or will your friends not have enough of me at the end of the day? Perhaps you should ask them before me."

Gwen opened her mouth before Kevin even directed the question to her. "I'd love it if you'd come," she uttered. "All the better to get to know each other more. Right, Ben?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he said distractedly.

She looked back and noted with some amusement how unprepared Ben was for Egypt. He had just peeled off his green jacket, only to reveal his usual black tee underneath. His blue jeans were only adding to his discomfort. A quick glance to Kevin revealed a small, knowing smirk that he had purposefully not told Ben to dress for heat. Another glance back showed that Ben, too, seemed to realize Kevin's jerk move, and he pouted.

"Are we almost there?" he asked.

Elina looked over her shoulder at him, then stopped in her tracks. She took off her glasses to reveal stern brown eyes, which moved from Ben to Kevin, whom she gave a disapproving look. "That was mean, Kevy."

Kevin only smiled light-heartedly.

Elina turned to Ben. "Only over that dune." She pointed to the pile of sand near them. "I always park there." Then she turned and led them once more, Ben moving a bit lethargically in the heat.

As they crested the sand hill, Elina pointed out her Jeep, and told them to help themselves to the water in the back. Ben made towards it gratefully, but Gwen held back and walked in stride with Kevin, who stayed near to his sister. Again Gwen noted their apparent bond. It seemed, somehow, sturdier than hers and her older brother's. Perhaps it was the age gap.

"I'll go with you," Elina said suddenly in a decisive tone. "It's about time for a surprise family reunion anyway."

Kevin broke out into a broad grin, and it infected Gwen so that she, too, was smiling. Meanwhile, Ben was guzzling down a cold bottle of water.

**A/N: **Does anyone else have the gut feeling that, as things are wont to do on this show, something terrible is going to happen? Actually, I have the vaguest of plots when writing this story, and it is as follows: Ben and Gwen want to meet Kevin's siblings, so he takes them out to meet them. That's it, really. Everything else I'm making up as I go.

As such, any suggestions are welcome. I know that according to the show, the planet Osmosia doesn't actually exist, but in this case it does. I think Ben and Gwen are going to get in trouble with the locals since they don't know the customs. I don't know.

In any case, thanks for reading! I'll update as soon as I write the next chapter. :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Elina, like most residents of Cairo, Egypt, lived in an apartment. It was a bit small, but perfectly fine for a young woman living alone. It had a front room, in which they found themselves upon entering, a kitchen, and a bedroom. They assumed the bathroom was located within that room.

"Here we are," Elina announced unnecessarily. She gestured grandly to the worn beige sofa, inviting them to sit. "Anyone hungry, thirsty?"

Kevin dropped himself onto the sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table. "I'm hungry."

"Uh-huh," Elina nodded, as though she had expected that. She looked at Ben and Gwen, who sat a bit more awkwardly on the couch. "Well, I suppose if you're hungry by the time I'm done cooking, you can eat, yeah? And if not, we'll save some for later."

Rather than walking around, Elina walked between the couch and the table, plowing through Kevin's legs to take his feet off the table. Kevin waited until she was in the kitchen before kicking his shoes off and putting his feet back up where they had been. Gwen shot him a disapproving look.

Elina appeared at the doorway, holding up two packages. A string of syllables slipped effortlessly from her lips, ending in a lilt that denoted a question. Ben and Gwen looked very surprised, but then whipped around in shock as Kevin replied in the same tongue, vaguely pointing to the bag in Elina's right hand. She nodded and returned to cooking.

"What was that?" Ben spluttered.

"Huh?" Kevin raised an eyebrow. "She asked if it was better for-"

"No, what were you speaking?" Gwen interrupted, looking flabbergasted. "Since when do you speak two languages?"

Kevin looked affronted at this. "I've always spoken Osmosian," he said slowly. "I'm bilingual. My mom is American, so she spoke English with me. We didn't move back to Earth until my dad died. But my brother and sisters are all full-blooded Osmosian, so that's what they speak with me. Elina's trilingual, obviously."

"Oh," the cousins said, for lack of anything intelligent to say.

Kevin spied something across the room and pushed himself up to get it. Gwen and Ben watched him curiously as Kevin rifled through a small photo album. He nodded at it, as though finding it agreeable, and brought it back. "She has a lot of pictures of our family," he explained at their curious looks.

He opened it to the first page, then handed it to Gwen and Ben. The book was small enough to fit in Gwen's lap. Each page had two picture slots, and all were full. They leaned closer to each other so they could both get a good view of the photos.

"Most of them were taken on Osmosia," Kevin said. "They're in chronological order, starting with my dad's parents."

"Are they...?" Gwen asked hesitantly.

"They're dead," Kevin answered bluntly. "They died four years before I was born."

Gwen nodded mutely and returned her attention to the pictures. The first was of a smiling couple, Kevin's grandparents. His grandfather had long black hair that was tied back, and his wife had silver hair. They were dressed in bright colors, the fabrics wrapped around their bodies almost like a toga. But they weren't togas, Gwen saw. She shook her head, unsure what to make of it.

The next picture was of his grandparents with a swaddled infant. They assumed it was Devin, Kevin's father, and when he stated so it was confirmed.

The next three photographs were of Kevin's grandparents and father at various stages of Devin's life. When Ben asked, Kevin answered that his grandfather's name was Declan and his grandmother's was Irene. Gwen flipped the page, and was greeted with the image of Devin and a young woman with long brown hair. They were both laughing and smiling, and the woman was very clearly pregnant.

"That's Ryan's mother," Kevin said. "Her name is Brianna."

The cousins nodded, eyes moving simultaneously to the next image. This was of Devin, Brianna, and an infant Ryan. On the next page was Devin holding a toddling Ryan to his chest, his other arm wrapped around a different woman. She was very clearly D.D.'s mother, if the photographs were in chronological order. Sure enough, in the bottom photo, Devin was holding Ryan and a swaddled baby. Neither of the mothers were present.

Gwen turned the album page. Devin was still holding both of his children, though a few years had passed. Ryan looked to be around five, and D.D. might have been two or three. A young woman was standing behind Devin, peering around him at the camera with a chaste smile. In the photo below, she was lying in an inclined bed, looking thoroughly exhausted, but happy, with Devin sitting beside her. They were holding a newborn baby, who Kevin pointed out was Elina.

In the next photo, a seven year old Ryan was standing beside her father, who was holding a five year old D.D. and a three year old Elina. A heavily-pregnant blonde woman leaned towards Devin, a hand on his shoulder. She was beaming at the camera. Below that photograph was the same setup, but with the addition of an apparently bawling Jenna.

Another page turn revealed a replica of the wedding photo Kevin carried in his wallet. Underneath that one was a wider shot, revealing a twelve year old D.D. as best man, and Kevin's sisters as his mother's bridesmaids. Ryan, at fourteen, stood beside the bride, then Elina, who was ten, and then seven year old Jenna.

On the next page Kevin's mother had given birth to him and was proffering him to the camera. Below that was a picture that Devin had taken of himself and Kevin in front of a mirror. Devin was pressing his lips to Kevin's tiny, soft head. Gwen couldn't help but smile at it. Ben looked up to tease Kevin about it, but before he could Kevin reached out and flipped the page, obviously a bit embarrassed.

The final page was taken over by a single photograph. Gwen had to turn the album sideways to see it properly. It was of the Levin children on a sofa, sitting side-by-side, in order. Kevin was about two years old in this photo, and sitting at one end. Beside him was a nine year old Jenna, then Elina, and then D.D., and then the eldest Ryan. With some surprise, Gwen pointed out that Ryan was pregnant.

"Huh?" Kevin leaned in to look. "Oh. No, that was when she was fat."

Gwen scoffed at him. "She's not fat."

Kevin looked at her incredulously. "You just called her pregnant!"

She blushed. "That doesn't mean she's fat."

"Well, she's not now," he said. "She was back then. And when she really was pregnant, she looked like a buffalo."

Gwen rolled her eyes, and gave the album back to Kevin. With a cheeky grin, Kevin stood and placed it back on the shelf where he had found it. Ben was sniffing the air curiously. Now that Gwen's attention was brought to it, she too noticed that it was an unfamiliar odor. It was peculiar, as though there was an uncommon spice or mix thereof.

As if on cue, Elina appeared at the kitchen doorway, mixing a large bowl in her arm. "Kevin," she said, then continued on in a rapid string of incomprehensible words that made Ben's head spin.

Kevin moaned in distaste, but apparently did not argue. Gwen made a note to ask how she got him to do what she wanted without having to fight for it. He followed Elina back into the kitchen without bothering to explain to Gwen or Ben, which irritated Gwen a bit, but she let it go. She reminded herself that she had to show the utmost respect to his sister. After a moment of listening to Elina speaking, she came into the living room and plopped down on the sofa where Kevin had been.

"Hi," she smiled.

Gwen smiled back. "Hi."

"Kevy is going to cook now, I have tired."

"Kevy?" Ben asked incredulous, jutting a thumb back towards the kitchen. "Cook?"

Gwen too raised an eyebrow.

Elina laughed and waved a dismissive hand. "He is good at cooking. Well, good at Osmosian food. I do not know maybe about earth food. I do not think earth food is much good."

"Oh," Gwen said. "So we're going to have Osmosian food?"

"Yes, traditional meal." Elina's smile never faltered. "I'm sure you will like."

Ben looked a little skeptical, but Gwen nodded fervently. "I look forward to it."

"Say," Ben said suddenly, leaning around Gwen so that he was included in the conversation, "can you show us the thing Kevin says you do?"

Elina gave Ben a blank look. "What is this thing I do?"

Ben held up a hand. "The absorbing and then making shapes thing."

"Ah," Elina said, nodding her understanding. She leaned forward, and Gwen couldn't help but notice her breasts swung with the motion, nearly spilling out of her shirt. The woman placed her fingertips on the coffee table and the material flowed onto her hand, which she held up for demonstration. She stared intensely at her hand as the wood began to recede, but rather than disappearing as it did with Kevin, the wood lifted from her skin and took form.

At first it was bulbous and unrecognizable, but as she continued it resembled a small bird. After a moment more, Gwen uttered, "A dove!"

"Yes, yes," Elina said, closing her fingers over it and giving Gwen a praising look. When she opened her hand again the bird figurine had completely solidified, and she extended it to Gwen. "You have it."

"Oh, thank you," Gwen said sincerely, cupping the warm wood in her hand. She looked down at it with admiration.

Elina waved a dismissive hand and settled back, crossing one leg over her knee. "Kevy says you're artistic. You paint it, yeah? Make a necklace. Do whatever you want."

"Not that artistic," Gwen said humbly, blushing. "I'm more of a writer than an artist."

"Writers are artists," Elina said. "Maybe I'm an artist, too. I dig holes and take pictures. Maybe I read a little hieroglyphs, yeah?" She laughed, a sound like tinkling bells.

Gwen smiled. "So, what do you like to do?"

"My likes, my likes," Elina repeated thoughtfully. "Aside from digging holes and kissing boys? Yes, Kevy must have told you I like boys, yeah?" She laughed again, but didn't seem to expect a reply. "I listen to music. All kinds. Sometimes I like to sing, but I never learned to play instruments. I'm the only one who can't seem to play anything."

"Kevy can't, either," Ben interrupted. Gwen shot him a look, but he ignored her.

"Kevy can, too," Elina said. "He plays piano. And violin, a little. Maybe not so much now, but he was a prodigy when he was little."

Ben looked disturbed. "Kevin? Piano? Violin?"

Elina nodded. "Yes, yes. He is very talented in much things, but you already know this. Very smart. Maybe he makes bad decisions, but he is young. It is expected, yeah?"

Gwen nodded in agreement. She made a mental note to force Kevin into showing her how well he played. She herself could play a bit of piano, but it was nothing impressive. Gwen cast a look over her shoulder at the kitchen doorway before returning to her gaze to Elina, who had caught the movement and leaned forward in anticipation of the question to come. "Is Kevin...you know," she asked lowly, "okay? About everything?"

Elina's eyes narrowed a bit. "Everything? What is everything?"

"Well," Gwen said, "he did run away when he was younger, and never went back to school. He was in the Null Void for a while...He never really talks about it."

Understanding filled Elina's eyes, and she nodded. "Yes...He is okay, I think. Maybe a little reluctant to talk because he does not know how to, yeah?" Then she amended, "Or maybe he does not need to talk. He is okay."

"If Kevin plays piano and violin," Ben cut in, still trying to reconcile with the news, "why doesn't he?"

Elina blinked at him. "He does."

"I've never seen him," Ben argued.

"And?"

Ben looked frustrated, so Gwen intervened in the conversation.

"Where are you from on Osmosia?" she asked.

"Small island," said Elina, holding up a thumb and forefinger about half an inch apart, "called Enchplashshil."

The cousins blinked at her, and the woman laughed. "Just call it Half Land. It is Osmosian word for that."

"Why is it called Half Land?" Gwen asked, interested.

"It used to be called Ozzhdavrabr," Elina explained. "That means Crescent Island. But years ago a meteorite struck, demolishing half of the island. It was scary, I thought. That was when my father took me and my brother and sisters to live here on Earth. He married Kevy's mother, and then we moved back to Osmosia for a while."

"Wow," Gwen said. After a long moment, she said, "Is Osmosian an easy language to learn?"

Elina looked surprise. "You want to learn it?"

She nodded. "It's Kevin's heritage."

His older sister's eyes warmed, and Gwen couldn't help but feel elated that she had won her over. She was sure she and Elina would get along well.

"Are you serious?" Ben wrinkled his nose.

Gwen shushed him so Elina could answer. "Osmosian is not hard, maybe, but requires diligence and practice. You speak with tongue, not chest or throat, like English."

Ben looked confused, but Gwen nodded in understanding. "A palate language."

"Hm? I suppose," Elina said, looking flabbergasted, but pleased that Gwen knew what she meant. "Maybe Kevy is a good teacher, you ask him to teach Osmosian. But if you remember words and sounds, you remember Osmosian well. Learn fast."

Gwen smiled and shot a sidelong glance at Ben. "And then Kevin and I can have conversations without certain someones listening in."

"Hey," Ben said.

Elina laughed.

Just then, Kevin reappeared, leaning on the doorframe. "It's ready," he announced a bit begrudgingly. "But it doesn't look as good as yours."

Elina scoffed. "Look is nothing to taste." Then she stood and stretched, motioning for Gwen and Ben to join her in her journey to the kitchen, where they would eat.

As they entered, they saw that a large pot was placed in the center of the table, which was set for four. Gwen wondered whether he or Elina had set it, but decided it didn't matter. A glance towards Kevin showed that he looked a little nervous. Gwen almost smiled endearingly, but quietly sat down beside Ben. Kevin took the seat on the other side of her, and Elina beside him.

Elina asked him something in Osmosian, and Gwen fervently wished she could speak it. Kevin replied, picking up and twiddling with his fork. He kept his eyes lowered. Gwen wondered if it was in deference to his elder or because he was embarrassed at having cooked. She made up her mind to ask about the Osmosian culture as well.

The traditional Osmosian meal both looked and smelled strange. Gwen had never seen anything quite like it. It looked almost like a stew, but not quite, since there were strange colors that should not have been there - such as blue. Nothing Gwen could think of pertaining to edibility was blue. She was a bit apprehensive, and suddenly understood why Kevin was as well. None of them knew how the cousins would react to the food.

Elina said, "It's called nanshojash, or nansho, for short. Is simple to make, easy to eat. Was Kevy's favorite childhood dish, yeah?"

Kevin only continued to play with his fork, refusing to look up. His older sister leaned over the table and began to ladle the food into each of their bowls. First Gwen, then Ben, then Kevin, and then herself. Once Elina had sat again, she looked expectantly at Kevin.

Kevin sighed. "Guests always start eating first," he said, still without raising his obsidian eyes.

Gwen nodded, but Ben suddenly looked a little fearful. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and him and picked up her fork. With only a second's hesitation, she plunged the utensil into the thick ooze and brought it to her mouth. A burst of amazing flavor coated her tongue, and her eyes widened in surprise. She had never tasted anything like it, but it was quite delicious. Perhaps it wasn't the most delicious thing she had ever eaten, but nansho put most earth cuisine to shame.

"It's delicious," she said after swallowing. She looked at Kevin, who seemed a little skeptical, then at Elina, who was beaming and nodded as though she had expected as much.

Once Gwen had tried it, Ben decided to as well, with more reluctance than she. But he, after two more bites, agreed with his cousin. The nansho was indeed one of the best things he'd ever tried. "Not as good as chili fries, though," he'd said, earning an eye roll from both Gwen and Kevin.

Kevin did not start eating until Elina had taken her first bite. Again Gwen wondered whether it was a culture thing, and mentally underlined her note to ask later. Her chance did not come for a long while. Gwen wanted to ask Elina, since she was not sure whether she'd get a good (or even straight) answer from her boyfriend. But they were not alone together for hours, which they spent talking amongst the four of them.

After they had eaten dinner, Elina and Kevin cleaned up together, inviting Gwen and Ben to sit back in the living room and entertain themselves with whatever they wanted to do. The cousins spent those few minutes whispering about what they had learned earlier. Ben was still having difficulty wrapping his head around the idea that Kevin was musically-inclined.

The siblings joined them, and they talked about anything that came to mind: Ben's alien transformations, past intergalactic battles, plumber stories from Elina about their father, which Kevin listened to with unrivaled intensity, Gwen's family and school life, and so on and so forth. Many of the stories were comical, and Ben made sure to include several of Kevin's embarrassing moments. In an act of revenge, Kevin made sure to include several of Ben's embarrassing moments. Elina rivaled both of the boys' humiliation with stories of her own past failures, much to Ben and Gwen's surprise. They hadn't expected her to be so laid-back, but it was in a way endearing. They both decided that they really like Elina.

Once they had tired and run out of things to say, they decided to go to bed. It had been a long day for Ben and Gwen especially, since they had had to wake up early. And Gwen wasn't entirely sure that Kevin had slept at all the night before, though he didn't show any outward signs of exhaustion. It had been prearranged by Kevin and Elina that he and Ben would sleep in the living room. The couch was a pull-out, and Elina had already made it up with the sheets, and brought forth two separate blankets and pillows from her room for them. Gwen was to sleep with Elina in her bed, and her heart leapt at that. She was going to ask her questions before they slept so she wouldn't forget.

"Can I ask you something?" Gwen asked after they had both settled. The bed was queen-sized and rather soft and warm, which Gwen didn't mind at all. It was actually like her bed, only less familiar, of course.

"Yes," came Elina's reply. The pillow rustled as she turned her head toward Gwen.

"What's the culture like in Osmosia?" Gwen asked. "I mean, like family, and manners, and such."

Elina hummed thoughtfully. "Different than here, definitely. On Osmosia, respect is given to those older than you." Gwen nodded, remembering Kevin's deference to her. "There is no marriage on Osmosia. Marriage is concept unheard of until I came here."

Gwen lifted her head in surprise. "Then why did Kevin's dad marry his mom?"

"Respect of culture," Elina replied. She shifted onto her side and propped her body up on an elbow. The girls could barely make each other out in the darkness. "If I stay here for my life, I maybe will meet a good man. If he wishes, I will marry him."

The red-head nodded. She supposed it made sense. "Then what about family? Do you just...have kids with whomever you want?"

"If you love, then you have a kid. Even if you do not stay together, you still love the kid, and parents stay friends. My mother and father were friends until he died. Same with my brother and sisters' mothers. All our mothers are friends still." Elina fell silent for a moment. "Mothers of kids by same father work together to raise kids. Sometimes we all live together so father does not have to travel to see other kids."

"I see," Gwen said softly. "That's nice."

"Yes. Here it seems complicated, raising children."

"Sometimes," Gwen agreed. She thought of separated parents, families torn apart by divorce, and by one parent abandoning the other. Life on Osmosia sounded like a dream. She was excited at going there the next day.

"You will learn much tomorrow," Elina said, as though reading her mind. Gwen could her the smile in her voice.

"I hope so," Gwen said. "Good night, Elina."

"Apledia, Gwen. Good night."

**A/N:** Sorry this is a little later than I planned. College is kicking my ass right now. Finals are next week, and it's causing all sorts of stress that I don't need. I do, however, need bubble wrap. Unfortunately, I have none.

Anyway, thanks for reading! I'll update as soon as I write the next chapter. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After a breakfast of eggs and bacon (much to Ben's delight), they had all refreshed themselves and packed up, ready to set out. Gwen expressed her concern over only having one spare set of clothes, but Elina dismissed her fears, saying that she planned to get the cousins and Kevin some traditional Osmosian clothing. More butterflies filled Gwen's stomach. Elina had been nice and friendly, but she didn't dare assume all of Kevin's family was like that. There was every chance that they would hate her.

But she tried not to think about it.

Rather, she focused on the fact that they were walking back to the Rustbucket III across the sand, Elina and Kevin leading the way. It wasn't as hot in the morning as it would be later. The sky was bright blue with nary a cloud, and it was still quite early. That did nothing, however, to deter the traffic in the city. It was a right nightmare to maneuver, and Gwen had no doubt that if Kevin were driving they'd have broken every driving law known to man.

Kevin wordlessly but heartbrokenly handed the keys to his sister. So Elina was driving the ship as well, Ben and Gwen mused. They tried to hide their amusement, though Ben didn't try as much as she did. Kevin shot him a glare - the only look he seemed to be giving to the teen lately. Obviously he was regretting bringing him.

Ben rode shotgun with Elina so Gwen and Kevin could sit beside each other. Elina took a moment to familiarize herself with the console, then ignited the engine. She squealed as it hummed to life, looking quite pleased. She turned and said something in rapid Osmosian to Kevin, who smirked proudly.

"Next stop," Elina said, flipping several switches, "Osmosia, Enchplashshil! Will drive maybe three hours, yes!"

With that, the Rustbucket III lifted unsteadily into the air, then straightened out and zoomed upward. Gwen's stomach flipped, and she suddenly felt grateful for the other times when Kevin drove. At least his ascent was gradual. She cast a look up to see Ben was feeling the same dizzying sickness as she was, but Elina and Kevin both seemed more excited than anything. Gwen resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

It was indeed about a three-hour flight to Osmosia. They spent most of that time talking about anything that came to mind, much as they had the night before. Eventually, though, they had fallen into a comfortable silence. Elina didn't seem to find it that comfortable. Another flip was switched, and the hologram projector blinked into existence. She spoke to it in Osmosian, and it did whatever she had told it to do.

Both Ben and Gwen watched in interest; they hadn't known there was a hologram device there. The one they were aware of was used to make intergalactic calls. They wondered if Elina was calling someone, but when music began to blare from invisible speakers they realized that it was a radio.

Elina spun a floating dial with her finger, apparently changing the station. "You want to hear D.D.?" she asked.

"As in your older brother?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"On the radio?"

"Yes."

"He's on the radio?!"

"Yes."

Elina gave Ben a long look, and he gaped back at her. After a moment, a voice came on the speakers, apparently singing in Osmosian. It was deep and smooth, and went well with the fluttering piano beneath it. The song wasn't mournful, or even happy, but seemed to resonate hope and harmony.

Gwen rather liked it. A glance at Kevin showed that he did as well: He was listening as though enraptured, the way she and Ben had once listened intently to their grandfather's stories. She nearly slapped herself when she remembered that Kevin could understand the lyrics, and they probably really were a story.

She knew the song was coming to an end when it began to crescendo. D.D.'s voice, sweet and rich, rose in both volume and pitch. The music faded, but his clear voice still cut through the air in a ringing note, then immediately dropped in volume as he sang the last few words softly. The rendition was over, leaving a moment of silence before the next began.

This one was began with an instrument Gwen was quite sure she'd never heard before. It was smooth but brassy, and low-pitched. Elina turned in her seat and grinned at Kevin, who looked a bit uncomfortable and shook his head slightly at her, pleading with his eyes. She turned back around. Gwen gave him a questioning look, but he only shrugged half-heartedly.

D.D. began to sing in a soft tone not unlike he had in the first. Elina cast a short glance over her shoulder at her brother again, still looking delightedly mischievous, but she still did not comment. Gwen felt annoyed, as she usually did, when she was left out of the loop. Was this song special somehow? Embarrassing?

Her green eyes studied Kevin for any reaction, but his face was demure. She scowled a bit, but then refocused on Elina, hoping to get some sort of explanation - be it facial expression, body language, or words. The music began to swell as D.D.'s voice faded out, going into an emotional instrumental. The music was coming to an end, apparently, but with one last devious look directed to Kevin, Elina leaned forward and flipped a switch.

Kevin started to protest, but then resignedly buried his face in his hands.

D.D. began to sing again, but much to Ben and Gwen's shock, it was in English: "Brother, you and I / Brother, you and I / We'll sing our lullaby / Hush, my dear, sing sweet and low / Kevy now to rest will go. / Hush now, hush now, / Singing soft and low."

The voice faded, as though D.D. really were singing the lullaby to Kevin, who had yet to move. Gwen blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly. It was a song for Kevin; it even had his name in it.

"How did you do that?" Ben asked, unable to register the fact that D.D.'s song had been translated without losing the beat or rhythm. Elina winked at him and flipped the switch again.

The music that began to play was still D.D.'s singing, but it was back to Osmosian. Ben turned to look at Kevin, who was glaring at the back of his sister's head. His cheeks were tinged pink with humiliation, which was all the more endearing to Gwen.

"Your brother is an amazing singer," she said, already planning on how she would tease him about it later.

Kevin's obsidian eyes flicked toward her, but instantly went back to Elina. "He is," he muttered in agreement.

A comfortable silence once more lapsed over them as they listened to D.D. He sang in a variety of styles, and used all sorts of instruments. Some sounds Gwen could recognize, others she couldn't, but it was all truly awe-inspiring. Some of the notes D.D. could reach left her breathless, and the emotion behind his words invoked her own feelings. Not many artists could pull off such a feat to that extent.

Gwen suddenly found herself contemplating whether or not Kevin could sing like that, too. She'd never heard him sing, now that she thought about it. She made a mental note to ask him to, and placed it with her other note to hear Kevin play piano and violin.

"Finally," Kevin muttered under his breath, startling Gwen out of her musings. She blinked and glanced at him, and saw that he was staring ahead. Shifting her gaze, she saw Osmosia. It was still pretty far off - so far that it was about the size of a baseball in her view, but it was still beautiful.

Rather than the green, brown, and blue to which they were so accustomed, there was a vibrant purple hue dappled with silvers and browns and yellows and blues. It was almost a kaleidoscope of colors and landmasses. Gwen belated realized that Osmosia was probably, like Earth, mostly water. It was speckled with islands, and she knew it would be impossible for her to ever remember which was which, there were just so many!

"Our sun is a different color," Kevin piped up.

"Huh?" Gwen looked at him.

He gave her a sidelong look. "The water is purple here. It's because the light from our sun is a different color, so everything you see will be altered accordingly."

"Right," Gwen nodded. Her green eyes strayed to the planet, then narrowed as she turned back to him. "Does this mean we'll be different colors, too?"

Kevin's lips turned up in a smile, effectively answering her question. "Just a bit," he said after a moment. "Not inverse, if that's what you're thinking. That'd be scary."

She chuckled. "It would be, wouldn't it?"

"Your hair will turn dark blue," he said.

"Will it?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "What about yours?"

"It won't change. Black hair is predominant in Osmosians, anyway. Plus, black is just the absence of color."

"Right," Gwen said, nodding. She'd already known that, but it had escaped her memory for a moment in her excitement. "What color will Ben's be?"

His lips twitched. "Yellow-green."

Gwen stifled a giggle. Ben Tennyson with yellow-green hair! She wished now more than ever that she had brought a camera. Kevin, as though reading her mind, pulled a small one out of his pocket. They shared a mischievous grin.

When they neared their destination, Elina turned off the radio and pulled up the other hologram, the one for making calls. A faceless entity appeared. Since it had a universal translator built into it, Gwen and Ben could understand the other person's words quite well, though Elina's side of the conversation completely escaped them.

"What purpose have you in Osmosia?" asked the official.

Elina replied smoothly.

"Very well."

The hologram disappeared, and Elina slowly pressed the ship forward. The Rustbucket III accelerated. In a matter of moments, they had broken through the atmosphere. The transition had been completely smooth, and Gwen wondered whether Elina was just the best driver known to man or if Osmosia's atmosphere was different. Probably both, she decided.

"Enchplashshil," Elina said, pointing ahead.

Gwen looked and saw that a yellowish fang-shaped island surrounded by purple waters was looming up. A closer scrutiny revealed that the upper half looked cleanly cleaved, as though an artist had drawn a perfectly-manicured line across it. She could easily imagine that the top half was still intact, undamaged by the meteorite years ago. The island was once crescent-shaped.

As the Rustbucket III descended closer and closer, they could make out the landscape. The island was encircled by a bar of white sand, and toward the middle of the island was a clump of orange, which Kevin said was a forest. Dappled across the rather large island were several cities and other communities of closely-packed homes. Once they came even closer, Gwen saw that the silver buildings were very nearly skyscrapers, all with columns of windows. A series of what looked to be railroad tracks spiderwebbed across the island, connected the communities. Gwen spotted a flash of gold, but it was gone too quickly for her to get a good look.

Elina guided the ship down to a clearing that was apparently a huge parking garage. She expertly brought the ship to a rest, and then tossed the keys back to Kevin. He caught them effortlessly and pocketed them, and they all unstrapped and stretched. It had been a long three hours.

Kevin, Gwen, and Ben followed Elina out of the ship and into the cool air. There was a distinct smell of iron and copper in the air, Gwen immediately noticed. Metal was probably quite abundant here. Ben gave a small shriek of surprise, and Gwen turned to see him staring at her.

Kevin and Elina watched the two them, obviously amused.

As Ben stammered out that Gwen's hair was blue, she struggled (and failed) not to laugh at his yellow-green hair. Ben looked down at himself to see why she was laughing, and noticed that his green jacket was now orange, and that his skin had a bit of a grayish tint to it. Gwen's skin was the same, and her blue shirt was a bit more purple than anything else. Both of their eyes had turned a dull orange, almost gold.

Kevin and Elina's eyes were both a lighter gray than usual. It was almost startling, but Gwen managed to reign in her surprise.

"Ready?" Elina asked, tilting her head in the direction they had been heading before Ben and Gwen discovered their newest differences.

The cousins agreed with varying degrees of truth, and they all set out. Kevin and Gwen walked side by side behind Elina, while Ben trailed behind, struggling to cope with the fact that his favorite jacket was orange.

They didn't walk far at all when they came across a sort of bus stop. Elina pressed a button on a pole that looked suspiciously like a street lamp, and then turned her head to watch the golden speck rapidly approach.

It was almost instantly upon them, seeming to manifest itself in the time it took Gwen to blink. The golden train car rolled seamlessly to a stop directly in front of them, and a door silently slid open. Elina and Kevin stepped inside, followed by Gwen and Ben.

"You might want to sit," Kevin said, plopping down on one of the benches that lined the otherwise empty car.

Gwen and Ben hastily followed example. They'd both seen how incredibly fast the car had been. It had been so quick that even from above Gwen hadn't been able to follow it with her eye. Elina was standing at the front, where a large, glowing grid-like panel was displayed. She pressed a pulsating yellow dot, which instantly turned green. Then Elina took a seat beside Ben and crossed one leg over her knee.

"Here we go," Kevin murmured.

Just as he said so, the floor beneath their feet thrummed. Before Gwen could fully comprehend that feeling, she suddenly felt herself being flung to one side. She might have fallen over had Kevin not been there to steady her, and she in turn pushed a bewildered Ben upright. (Gwen was quite surprised that Ben's brain had not bled out of his ears yet.)

There was a light "ding" that resonated slightly through the car, and Gwen looked around for its source.

"Here we stop," Kevin announced.

But before she or Ben could brace themselves, they found themselves being flung in the opposite direction. This time, Elina stopped Ben's flight, and he in turn saved her from spilling onto the floor. Kevin, unlike his grinning sister, had the decency to look apologetic.

Once the car had fully stopped, the door from which they had entered slid open, and Elina and Kevin at last stood. Gwen stood warily, half expecting the car to jolt forward once more. Needless to say she stuck close to Kevin. She most definitely did not want to get lost on a strange planet.

When they stepped out, Gwen and Ben gaped around in awe. Only moments before they had seemed to be in a mostly abandoned lot, but now they found themselves in the midst of a city. There were no vehicles (except for the golden car behind them, but when Gwen turned to look it had already thrummed to life and gone again), and people were milling about and running errands. It reminded them a bit of home, only the people wore vibrant, colored clothing. Most had dark hair and shining eyes, like Elina and Kevin, but there were several with purple or fiery orange hair, and various shades between. The buildings, which appeared to range anywhere from apartments to shops to grocery stores, towered like skyscrapers.

Elina and Kevin gave them a moment to soak in their new surroundings.

"This way," Kevin said at last, leading them both by their elbows into the crowd. He didn't release them, and though Ben had a sour expression Gwen was sure he was as grateful as she was. She wasn't about to ask him to hold her hand, but she definitely did not want to get lost. Elina abruptly stopped, causing Kevin to stop short, and the cousins walked right into his back.

Kevin asked her a question in Osmosian, and Gwen was sure it was something like, "What are you doing?"

Elina replied in a short but chipper tone, and pointed at the door beside them. Kevin turned his head and looked, and then asked another question. His sister nodded with a laugh and entered the store, and he reluctantly dragged Ben and Gwen in after him.

They both immediately recognized it as a clothes shop. Multitudes of fabric hung from the walls, from shelves, from racks, and were piled onto nearly every surface. A few people were browsing or bargaining with the owner to the right of the door, who appeared to be a very animated, portly old man. Elina pulled a small slip of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Kevin, who took it and stared at her exasperatedly. She told him something, and then motioned for Gwen to go with her.

She parted from her boyfriend, albeit reluctant, and trailed after Elina. She led her to the back of the store, while Kevin dragged Ben over to the other side. It was then that her fears were realized: Elina was going to dress them in traditional Osmosian clothing.

But what to do? She couldn't very well refuse. Besides, for all she knew it could be that it was required to dress according to some lawful standard, and that they were all breaking it in their "human attire." Gwen quickly resigned herself to her fate, but all the same she felt a bit excited for it. She resisted the urge to reach out and feel the fabric of the cloth beside.

Elina, once she reached the end of the store, spun on her heel and dragged her eyes down Gwen's figure. Gwen watched her expectantly as the older woman turned her attention to the clothes hanging on the wall. She pulled down several selections - long drapes of vibrant green, of yellow, and of sky blue. Then she pressed her palm to wall and ushered a gawking Gwen into the room that seamlessly opened.

At first Gwen was a bit uncomfortable with undressing in front of a stranger, but then she realized that she had no idea how to dress herself in the new clothing, and Elina did not seem bothered at all. So she removed her outer layers, standing self-consciously in her undergarments. Unfazed, Elina had Gwen stretch out her arms to either side, and she began to wrap the green, satin-like cloth around Gwen's torso like a toga. Then Elina took both ends of it and tied them like a snug sash around her waist. Only Gwen's calves, neck, and arms were visible in the wrap. Elina then took the light blue and loosely winded it around her neck once, leaving either end hanging to the floor. The yellow cloth turned out to be a sort of hemmed jacket, which was slipped over her arms. Several loops wound down the sleeves, through which Elina fed the ends of the blue scarf. Once the blue cloth had made it down to her wrists, Elina tied them into a loose, small bow, keeping the ends of the sleeves in place.

Finally, Elina stepped back and nodded in satisfaction. Then she turned Gwen by her shoulders and revealed the mirror that had been behind her. Gwen stared at her reflection. She looked so strange, but so - dare she say it - beautiful and exotic.

"You like?" Elina asked.

Gwen chuffed. "Yes, I do," she smiled, smoothing the front of her wrap. "Thank you."

"Not a problem," Elina said. "Now I will change, and then we get shoes. And then we go and wait for boys, yes?"

"Okay," she agreed, gathering her clothes and following Elina out of the room. Elina went a little ways back to the front and selected a red wrap with an orange scarf and black jacket. Gwen trailed after her as she returned to the room and then stopped outside of it to giver her privacy. Elina, when she realized this, gave Gwen a questioning look and ushered her in with her.

"You do not need wait alone," Elina said kindly.

"Oh," Gwen blushed, unsure of how to reply.

Elina smiled and began to strip. Gwen wondered if Elina expected her to help her dress, and she hoped not because she wasn't so sure she could do it. But Elina was a native and perfectly capable of dressing herself. Without even checking her movements in the mirror, she expertly repeated the process she'd gone through with Gwen, and in no time at all she was ready.

"Let's go shoes!" Elina chirped, bundling her own clothes up in her arms. Gwen followed after her like a lost puppy, wondering what kinds of shoes they wore. She didn't see any on the way in. Elina went to the front desk and dropped her Earth clothing on the table top. The old clerk glanced up and took them both in.

He and Elina spoke in Osmosian for a bit, apparently haggling for something. After a few moments, the old man relented, and Elina motioned for Gwen to leave her clothes on the desk. She placed them besides Elina's and followed her to the other side of the store. There she saw the shoes. They were all a uniform black, and were sandals not unlike the ones worn in ancient Greece back home. But they were obviously well-made and very beautiful.

Elina sat down and picked up a pair that fit her own feet. She patted the floor next to her, inviting Gwen to take a seat. She did, and Elina studied her feet before rooting through the stacks for a pair that would fit. As she did that, Gwen turned at the sound of footsteps.

Kevin and Ben were approaching, Ben shuffling uncomfortably. The boys were dressed in a very similar manner, except rather than wraps they wore what appeared to be capris under a robe. Ben's jacket was green, most likely at his own insistence, and his scarf was white. His robe and pants were black. Kevin looked very good in his own wardrobe. His jacket was red, and the scarf was a light gray. Like Ben, his robe and trousers were black. She wondered if that was the only color men could wear, but then she figured it was just their taste.

Elina threw a pair of sandals at Kevin, who caught them effortlessly even as he was sinking to the floor beside Gwen. His sister then continued to search for a pair for Gwen. Kevin pulled the sandals on and then looked at Ben's feet the way Elina had looked at Gwen's. She thought it was amazing how they could just judge the correct size needed with a glance.

Elina made a frustrated noise. "You're feet are so small," she complained. "Like a child."

"Sorry," Gwen said, bewildered.

Kevin chuckled, removing a pair from the stack for Ben, who glared distastefully at them. "Just put them on, Tennyson."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, doing so.

"Ah," Elina said, pulling a pair, "here."

Gwen slipped her feet into them easily. They felt as though they were perfectly molded to fit her feet, and she wondered what they were made out of. Probably something not found on Earth, that was for sure. They were more comfortable than socks.

"Good?" Elina asked, addressing the question to everyone.

Once she received confirmation, they all stood and meandered back to the front desk. When they arrived, Gwen saw that their clothes had been neatly folded and bagged, including Ben and Kevin's. Apparently they had stopped by the desk before going to shoes as well.

Elina and the old man immediately broke out into a conversation, haggling a price. Her hand suddenly flew back as she spoke, extended to Kevin behind her, who casually returned the slip of paper she had earlier given to him. Elina thrust it at the clerk, who grumbled as he squinted at it. Then he nodded and tore it in half, handing one back to her and pocketing the other. With a short bow of her head, Elina snatched up the bags and went out the door. Kevin grabbed both Ben and Gwen and followed after her.

"Where are we going?" Ben asked, looking very self-conscious in his new clothes.

"My brother's house," Kevin replied, weaving to one side to avoid an old woman laden with a huge bag. "It's only a few doors down now."

True to his word, Elina turned into another building ahead of them. Kevin sped up a little to catch up, and Gwen and Ben hastened accordingly. When they entered not too far behind his sister, they found her waiting at a pair of golden doors for them, beaming broadly. As they neared, she pressed a button on a panel, and the doors slid open to reveal an elevator. They crammed themselves inside, and Elina dictated aloud the elevator's destination.

The doors slid closed, and the vehicle thrummed to life beneath them. Gwen braced herself for the sudden movement that was sure to send her to the floor, but surprisingly it glided smoothly, like a normal elevator. She exhaled through her nose slowly, more than a little relieved. Once it stopped, the doors allowed their leave, and they found themselves in a very tiny white room, about the size of a small closet. Gwen frowned in confusion.

Elina stepped up to the wall and knocked. The sound was solid, and Gwen was hard-pressed to believe that there was anything beyond that wall. There was no apparent reply, but Elina didn't seem to expect one. She waggled her eyebrows over her shoulder at Kevin, who smirked mischievously.

She tapped the wall in several places in quick succession, so fast that Gwen might have missed it had she not been looking. Another panel slid open seamlessly, and Elina went through it. Kevin went in after her, still pulling Gwen and Ben behind him.

Inside was a homely and clean living room, with a long red sofa facing a white wall, and a chrome kitchen area to the right. An open doorway led to a dark hallway that must have led to a bedroom and bathroom or something of the like. But Elina and Kevin ignored everything but the couch, and headed for it. As they crossed the room, Kevin relinquished his hold on them, and left them free to look around.

The walls were white, and except for the one in front of the couch, were decorated with what appeared to be photographs and drawings. Upon closer inspection, Gwen realized that the photographs and drawings were both of family members, and could distinctly make out a younger Kevin in several. She wondered whether D.D. drew the art.

"He's at work," Kevin explained, making a detour around the sofa to go into the kitchen. He immediately began rooting through the cabinets and fridge, pulling out ingredients at random. Gwen was a bit shocked that he was so blatantly going through his brother's food, but then she was hungry and so didn't hold it too much against him.

"Where does he work?" she asked lightly.

Ben had already made his way over the couch and sat down, exclaiming how soft it was. Elina laughed at him and laid down, stretching. There was plenty of room for both of them to lie down, so long the crescent-shaped furniture was.

"He's at the recording studio," Kevin answered. He shook an unmarked box, frowning at it. Then he cautiously opened it and sniffed its contents. Making a face, he replaced it. "It's two floors up. He should be back in a few minutes, actually."

"Oh," Gwen said.

"Next week he's got to go to the other side of the island every day to film his new movie," Kevin said absently.

Gwen blinked at him. "He's an actor, too?"

"Yeah."

"That's really amazing," Gwen said. "Did he draw these pictures on the wall?"

Kevin looked up at her, then at the drawings. "No, his boyfriend did."

Ben bolted upright on the couch and looked at Kevin in alarm. "Boyfriend?" he repeated.

Kevin made a face at him not unlike the one he'd given to the unknown contents of the box. "Yeah, you got a problem, Tennyson?"

Ben gave him a strange look. "No," he said faintly, sinking back down.

"He won't be attracted to you, loser," Kevin uttered, rolling his eyes. "Not even girls like you."

"Hey!"

"What's his boyfriend like?" Gwen asked, trying to change Kevin's mood.

Kevin blinked and regarded her for a moment. "Um," he said, frowning thoughtfully. "He's, uh, sort of...dead."

"Oh," she said. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't -"

Kevin smiled. "It's fine, Gwen. It was a suicide, maybe three years ago. But it's all right, really."

He seemed eager to let the conversation drop, so Gwen let it. Luckily, her scramble for a new topic was cut short as the entrance slid open. They all turned to the sound of someone bustling inside.

A tall, dark-headed man entered, wearing a bright blue robe and pants underneath a yellow jacket and orange scarf. He stopped short as he noticed his company, silvery eyes going wide in shock and a high-pitched yelp escaping his throat. He stumbled back into the wall, grasping it as though it were his life-line.

"D.D.!" Kevin and Elina sang cheerily.

D.D. immediately went into a rant in Osmosian, voice still pitched in the upper scales. His voice lowered as he ran out of breath and he straightened and relaxed. A good-natured twinkle came into his eyes, and his lips turned up in a smile.

"No one tells me when they're visiting," he moaned dramatically. "So you two must be Ben and Gwen, yes?"

Gwen blinked in surprise. "Yes," she said, extending her hand to shake his.

He looked down at her hand, and then grasped it gently with a kindly smile. "It is nice to meet you. I have heard much about you from Kevy."

Ben snickered quietly at the name.

"It's nice to meet you, too, D.D.," Gwen said politely. "I've heard a few of your songs, and I think you have an amazing voice."

"Ah, thanks," D.D. said. His eyes trailed over to Kevin. "Hm?" he said, looking at him expectantly.

Red blossoms appeared on Kevin's cheeks. He muttered something in Osmosian, busying himself with the food in front of him. D.D. rolled his eyes, and pulled Elina into a one-armed hug as she sidled up beside him.

"I can bet we later can give Ryan a heart attack," Elina said mischievously.

D.D. smirked wryly. "Yes, and she will die. And then Kevy and Gwen and Ben will die in her strong hugs."

Kevin gave his brother and sister a sour look as they laughed, but Gwen could tell there was no real anger behind it. She and Ben had taken to standing awkwardly aside, unsure of how to include themselves. But it seemed that they had no need to bring themselves into it, as D.D. turned on them and gestured for them to join him on the sofa.

"Let us talk, yes?" he said. "Kevy can make food for us while we tell you all the embarrassing things about him!"

"Hey!"

"Hello, yes," D.D. said, waving dismissively. The cousins leaned forward, showing him the utmost attention - blackmail was hard to come by when it came to Kevin. "Now, first there is the time when..."

**A/N:** YES, I KNOW. I'm so sorry it's taken so long! But college and writer's block together has never been a good thing, has it? I know I told one of you I was going to wait to post until I had it all written out, but it's taking so much longer than I thought it would, and I know I hate waiting, so I won't keep you any longer.

Again, I'm sorry, and I'll try to get the next two out ASAP. (There are only two more chapters until completion, so...yeah.) *fingers crossed*

Thanks for reading!


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